Oleomargarine package



Dec. 5, 1950 L. PETERS OLEOMARGARINE PACKAGE Filed Nov` 14, 1947 Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES, PATENT OFFICE OLEOMARGARINE PACKAGE Leo Peters, Evanston, Ill. Application November i4, 1947, Serial No. 786,050

1s claims. l

This invention relates to an oleomargarine package and to a method and means for enclosing oleomargarine and coloring together within the same wrapper while holding the same separate from one another until it is desired to mix the two.

It is necessary and desirable, in order to conform to certain laws and also to give the housewife her option of whether or not to color her oleomargarine, to keep the coloring separate and distinct from the oleomargarine at all times until it reaches the housewifes kitchen; at the same time, in order to give the housewife an easy method for coloring, it is desirable that the coloring be readily accessible for kneading it into the oleomargarine.

One desirable way for accomplishing the above is to separate the coloring from the oleomargarine by means of a removable friction-tight seal brought about by a structure on the outside of the wrapper. Such a sealcan be made in a vnumber of ways as, for example, with a clip or string,

which will bring the wrapper tightly together at` a point or along a line which will compartmentalize the package or wrapper. Also, a section of the package may be twisted to form a constriction at the point of twist. Various objections apply to these methods. Some are unsatisiactory fbecause of their injury to the package fabric or material. Some are unsatisfactory because they extend entirely across the packageA and prevent flow from one end of the package to the other, resulting in a weakened and irregular package. Others are extremely expensive from the standpoint of the materials needed and the processes required to employ them. Others are not safe because of their tendency to shift in position under the pressure exerted by the material within the bag when pressures are applied to the package. The tendency of such structures to shift in position or to become released under pressure and the diiliculty of locating them in the middle point of the wrapper or along the edges thereof renders them useless as commercial structures.

An object of this invention is to provide a structure and method which overcomes the above objections, while effectively separating the coloring material from the oleomargarine until it is desired to bring them together, A further object `is to provide an effective outside seal forming a compartment within a small area in the container and in which chamber the coloring material is located, the outside seal being readily removed to bring the inside compartment into communication with the interior of the container. Yet another object is to provide a sealing structure applicable to the center of the bag or to an edge portion thereof for providing a compartment therein, the structure being tightened rather than opened under the eiective pressure exerted by the material inside the container, while at the same time the seal is readily removed rby drawing the same away from the container.

vide a seal which may be easily located at any point upon the package, including the middle portions and the edge portions, which locations are highly desirable for the application of the color to the oleomargarine when the latter is kneaded for coloring. A still further object is to provide a clamp or seal structure which is eiective in keeping the coloring material separate from the oleomargarine but which may be released by merely drawing the same away from the package without danger of tearing or cutting the wrapper. Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

` The invention is illustrated, in single embodiments, by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a broken perspective view of a package structure embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a perspective view of the oleomargarine container forming my invention; Fig. 3, an enlarged transverse sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4, an enlarged sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5, a perspective view of a sealing or clamping device which may be employed; Fig. 6, a perspective view of the clamping device or seal member applied to an end portion of the bag; and Fig. 7, a transverse sectional detail view, the section being taken as indicated at line 1 of Fig. 6.

In the illustration given, Il) designates a container formed of translucent, flexible material suitable as a casing for enclosing oleomargarine when the oleomargarine is to be kneaded. The wrapper I0 may be extruded to form a tubular body. or it may be formed from flat material folded upon itself to form a tubular structure. I prefer to employ thermoplastic material, and to seal the ends of the material after the wrapper is filled with oleomargarine to form an airtight package for the oleomargarine. In the illustration given, the oleomargarine is indicated by the numeral il. The container I0, with its ends sealed to enclose the oleomargarine, may be placed within a carton I2, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The wrapper t may be formed of any suitable material, such as Vinylite, synthetic rubber, chlorinated rubber, and a large number of well known translucent plastic materials. The above materials are found very satisfactory because of their heat-sealing properties, and also because they are resilient and tend to stretch during the kneading operation. It will be understood that the wrapper may be caused to enclose or envelope the oleomargarine in any desired manner. For example, the wrapper may be employed as a fiat strip upon which the oleomargarine is deposited in cake or body form, and then the flat strip may be folded about the body and sealed on all sides by heat-sealing, or by any other desired means for sealing.

Prior to the lling of the bag or tubular caslng or flat wrapper, I prefer to equip the bag or container with a small amount of coloring material and with a clamping device or sealing device for maintaining the coloring material out of communication with the oleomargarine or the interior of the container or wrapper. In the illustration given in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, a middle portion of the unfilled bag, as illustrated in Fig. 2, is folded to form a pocket, and into a portion of the pocket I place coloring material I3, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. To close the pocket and to seal the same around the coloring material I3, I employ a clamping member or stapler I4. The stapler may be formed of paper, plastic, or any suitable material. As shown more clearly in Fig. 5, the central portion of the iiat strip I4 is die cut to form a flexing tongue I5.

The folded portion of the casing I0, with the pocket Vcontaining coloring material I3, is extended between the tongue I5 and the main body of the strip I4, and then the tongue I5 is drawn through the opening, carrying with it the fold, and the pocket carrying the coloring material. The double walls of the casing, extending beyond the forward edge of the tongue I5, actually extend the tongue I5 and make it substantially impossible to draw the tongue downwardly through the opening by exerting tension upon the casing walls I0. In other words, the pressure exerted by the material within the bag and through the walls of the bag tightens the tonguel I5 against the upper edge of the member I4 and prevents the tongue from coming through. There is thus provided a tight grip about the folded material drawn through the opening of the stapler I4, and the greater the pressure exerted by the material within the container upon the container walls, the tighter is this seal. By this means, the coloring material I3 is confined constantly within a tightly sealed compartment separate from the oleomargarine. Further, the seal or stapler is disposed at a protected point in the central portion of the wrapper where it is sheltered by the body of material and where it is in position for rapid dissemination through the oleomargarine in the mixing operation.

When it is desired to mix the coloring material with the oleomargarine, the housewife simply grasps the outer end I6 of the stapler or clamping member I4. and by bending the outer end I6, the tongue I5 of the stapler is easily snapped to the inner side thereof so that the stapler can be easily lifted out of position. In other words, in the releasing operation, it is merely necessary for the tongue I5 to be swung from its outer position with respect to the main wall of the stapler I4 to the inner side thereof. 'Ihe stapler may then be simply lifted out of position.

Upon the removal of the stapler I4, the housewife presses the pocket containing the coloring materiall into the interior o1 the body of oleomargarine, and the oleomargarine may then be kneaded while still sealed Within the airtight package so as to rapidly disperse the coloring material through the mass of oleomargarine. The translucent walls enable the housewife to note the progress of the mixing and to observe finally the uniform dispersal of the coloring material throughout the oleomargarine body.

After the kneading operation, the container and its uniformly colored contents may be pressed into a. rectangular shape and placed again in the carton. Within the refrigerator, the contents of the carton become again solid. As the oleomargarine is needed for table use, the container Is withdrawn from the carton and an end portion of the container sliced to provide the desired amount of the oleomargarine cake.

In the modification illustratedl in Figs. 6 and 7. the clamping member or stapler I4 is applied to an end portion of the bag rather than to a folded middle portion. Prior to filling the bag with oleomargarine, color may be deposited in the lower sealed end I'I of the bag to form a color deposit I8. 'I'he lower end of the bag may then be passed between the tongue and the main body of the stapler. with the tongue moved laterally, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The tongue I5 is then drawn through the opening of the stapler so as to lock the end portion containing the color I8 as a. separated compartment on the outer side of the flat wall of member I4, as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 7. The bag may then be iilled with oleomargarine through one end thereof, and the other end sealed, as illustrated more clearly in Figs. 6 and 7.

To remove the stapler or clamping member I4 from the end of the bag, it is merely necessary to grasp the end portion I6 and to flex the stapler so as to cause the tongue I5 to swing to the opposite side of the stapler and thereby to release the bag portion and thereby to permit its release.

The structure employed for forming the small compartment enables it to be placed at any point along the bag body or the edge of the body, thus providing a bag which is uninterrupted throughout its length for the filling oi' oleomargarne. It will be noted that the stapler merely occupies a space along the side Wall or at the end of the bag and does not interfere with the continuous compartment formed within the bag for the reception of the oleomargarine. In eiect, the bag provides one continuous container for receiving the oleomargarine body. The same result is achieved when a flat wrapper is used and the stapler is applied to the flat wrapper, because the fiat wrapper may be then employed for enclosing a cake or body of oleomargarine and may be then sealed about the oleomargarine on all sides. In other words, the attachment of the stapler or clamp is effectively applied to the wrapper itself or to the sealing of the bag or wrapper in the later fillingL operations.

While in the specific illustrations given. a single structure is employed, it will be understood-that other equivalent clamping or sealing or stapling devices may be used for forming a compartment in thewrapper or bag prior to filling and in which coloring material may be housed. The details of structure and method herein illustrated are for thepurpose of showing one method of employing the invention, and it will be understood that the same'may be widely varied by those skilled in. the ait without departing from the spirit of my invention,

I claim: i

1. A package, comprising a container formed of flexible, translucent material and adapted to enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneading thereof, a frictional sealing member releasably engaging a portion of the container less than the width thereof to form a temporary compartment in said container, and coloring material in said compartment, said coloring material being brought into communication with the oleomargarine upon the release of the seal.

2. A package, comprising a container formed of flexible, translucent material and adapted to be filled with oleomargarine from end to end, a clamp releasably engaging a portion of the con tainer less than the width thereof to form a small temporary compartment in said container, and coloring material in said compartment, said clamp being releasable to bring said temporary compartment into full communication with the interior of said container.

3. A package, comprising a container provided with flexible, translucent walls and adapted tov enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneading thereof, said container having a wall thereof folded, a clamp releasably engaging said folded wall to form a temporary compartment in said container less than the width of said container, and coloring material in said compartment, said compartment being brought into communication with the interior of said container upon the release of said clamp.

4. A package, comprising a container having flexible, translucent walls and adapted to enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneading thereof, a clamp releasably engaging an end portion of said container to form a temporary compartment in said end portion having a width less than the width of said container, and coloring material in said compartment, said temporary compartment being brought into full communication with the interior of said container upon the release of said clamp.

5. A package wrapper formed of flexible, translucent material and adapted to enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneading thereof, said wrapper having parallel wall portions adapted to enclose between them coloring material, a clamp releasably engaging said parallel wall portions to seal them from the interior of the container and to provide a temporary compartment, and coloring material in said compartment.

6. A package, comprising a wrapper formed of flexible, translucent material and adapted to enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneading thereof, a clamp engaging parallel walls of the wrapper to form temporary compartment therein, coloring material in said compartment, said wrapper being sealed on all sides to provide yan airtight container, and oleomargarine filling said container from end' to end, said coloring mate-` rial being brought into contact with the oleo margarine upon the release of said clamp.

f 7. A package, comprising a wrapper formed'of flexible, translucentmaterial and adapted to enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneading thereof, a clamp engaging parallel walls of the wrapper to form a temporary compartment therein, coloring material in said compartment, said wrapper being sealed on all sides to provide an airtight container, and oleomargarine filling said container' from end to end, said coloring material being brought into contact with the oleomargarine upon the release of said clamp, said clamp being tightened by the pressure lof Amaterial in said container.

8. A package, comprising a container formed of flexible, translucent walls and adapted to enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneading thereof, a small body of coloring material between parallel walls of said container, a frame member adjacent said parallel walls, and a tongue member carried by said frame and pressing said walls through said frame to lock the same.

9. A package, comprising a container formed of flexible, translucent walls and adapted to `enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneading thereof, said container having a wall thereof folded at a point substantially midway between the ends thereof, coloring material between said folded walls, a frame member extending about said coloring material, and a tongue member carried by said frame and pressing said folded wall portion, containing said coloring material, through said frame.

10. A package, comprising a container formed of flexible, translucent material and adapted to enclose a body of oleomargarine for the kneadling thereof, said container having a sealed end portion, a frame member adjacent said sealed end portion, coloring material in said end portion aligned with said frame, and a tongue member pressing said end portion containing said coloring material through said frame to provide a sealed compartment separating the coloring material from the interior of the container.

11. A package, comprising a container formed of flexible, translucent material sealed on all sides to provide an airtight enclosure adapted for the kneading of oleomargarine, oleomargarine within said container, a clamping member releasably engaging a wall of said container to form therein a compartment separated from the interior of the container, and coloring material in said compartment.

12. A container adapted to receive a body of oleomargarine and being formed of flexible, translucent walls adapted for the kneading of oleomargarine, a releasable clamp engaging a wall portion of the container t0 form therein a temporary compartment, and coloring material in said compartment, said container being adapted to receive oleomargarine from one end to the other thereof and said coloring material being brought into contact with said oleomargarine upon the release of said clamp.

13. A package, comprising a flexible wrapper adapted to enclose a body of oleomargarine therein with the wrapper in sealed relation of the wrapper being folded to form a compartmentfand a clamp' consisting of a ilexible strip having'a tongue cut therein, said tongue being` tree of said strip except as to one side which provides a iiexing hinge therefor, said folded wall portion being drawn through the opening oi' said strip controlled by said tongue whereby said tongue is drawn to the side of the strip opposite said oleomargarine body, whereby under the pressure oi' the material in the con-- tainer. said tongue is drawn towards said strip to wedge said folded wrapper wall against said strip to seal said compartment.

LEO PE'IERS.

8 REFERENCES crrEn The following references are of record in the me of thispatent: e,

5 UNITED s'rA'rEs PA'ImzTs Number Name Date 1,889,882 Woods Dec. 6, 1932 2,052,158 zink Aug. 25. 1936 lo 2,847,640 Peters May 2, 1944 

1. A PACKAGE, COMPRISING A CONTAINER FORMED OF FLEXIBLE, TRANSLUCENT MATERIAL AND ADAPTED TO ENCLOSE A BODY OF OLEOMARGARINE FOR THE KNEADING THEREOF, A FRICTIONAL SEALING MEMBER RELEASABLY ENGAGING A PORTION OF THE CONTAINER LESS THAN THE WIDTH THEREOF TO FORM A TEMPORARY COMPARTMENT IN SAID CONTAINER, AND COLORING MATERIAL IN SAID COMPARTMENT, SAID COLORING MATERIAL BEING BROUGHT INTO COMMUNICATION WITH THE OLEOMARGARINE UPON THE RELEASE OF THE SEAL. 